Category Archives: NFL

Howley, Chuck (2)

pset90 howleyudldg97 howley

Cards: ProSet 1990 Super Bowl MVP,  Upper Deck Legends 1997
Acquired: TTM 2013, C/o Home
Sent: 3/12    Received:  3/18     (6 days)
See Also:  Chuck Howley


Considered one of the greatest linebackers Tom Landry had ever seen, the bionic Chuck Howley split time between the Bears and the Cowboys. It would be with his Super Bowl V efforts, (the only one in which a player from the losing player won the MVP honors,) that Chuck really received his due.  The next season the Dallas Cowboys won Super Bowl VI, and Chuck retired officially after the 1973 season.  The 6 time Pro Bowler, and 5 time All Pro, made every one of those years playing for the Cowboys and is a member of the 20/20 club – with more than 20 interceptions and sacks in their career (although sacks weren’t an official statistic until 1982).  A cornerstone of the “Doomsday Defense”, the Cowboys traded a 2nd and 9th round pick to the Chicago Bears to acquire Howley, who had suffered from a catastrophic knee injury that kept him out of the previous 1960 season.  He earned numerous accolades since retirement from his native West Virginia where he was born and also from the state of Texas. The Cowboys inducted Howley into their Ring of Honor in 1977.  Chuck Howley- What a name. Just has that iconic ring to it that screams physical, down in the dirt, classic, football player. Now this is definitely a Cowboy I’d vouch for that deserves to be in the HoF. He’s got the stats, the championship, and the MVP honor.

I had been kicking the can down the road on Chuck for a while, but I had these two great cards sitting around and had to give it a shot. The ProSet 1990 Super Bowl MVP cards, that were included in the set, covered SuperBowls I-XXIV. Merv Corning did some amazing illustration for these pieces and I’d love to get a few more of these signed. I’ve also become fond of the Upper Deck Legends 1997 set. There’s some excellent photography, design, and typography in this definitive set.

Givins, Ernest “EG” (3)

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Card: Action Packed 1990, Topps Stadium Club 1990
Acquired: 11/23/2012, Fiterman Autograph Event, 2012 Canton Acquisition.
See Also: Ernest Givins, Ernest Givins (2)

Ernest Givins after all these years still remains one of my favorite players not only as an entertaining professional who understands the relationship between player and fan but also as an avid TTM signer. If there was a an award that could be handed out for sincerity and kindness, this guy would be near the top. He was rumored to have stepped out during pregame warmups and go up into the stands to greet fans. That’s the sort of guy he is. It’s a good thing he is because Givins had no shortage of very photogenic cards during his playing days for the Oilers from 1986-1994. EG and his teammate Haywood Jeffires have a lot of love for each other- and almost seem to be the Yin and Yang when paired together especially in public. He’s also an accomplished semi-pro coach where he was with the Jacksonville Sharks for many years. In 2011, he took over the reins of the Sarasota Millionaires. Along with Givins quest to have his jersey retired at Louisville, he recently has expressed an interest in having his jersey retired with the Titans. I personally, would love to see the Texans stick it to the Titans and offer him a Texans Ambassadorship.

 

Fulcher, David

Cards: ProSet 1989, Score 1990, Fleer 1992
Acquired: Canton Acquisition 2012

An incredible talent, David Fulcher was a safety best known for his hard hitting play, ball hawking skills, and gifted abilities in Tecmo Super Bowl.  At 6’3″, 238, Fulcher was of a rare breed of safety whom could line up and play as an extra linebacker, or fade back into coverage with his speed. After his Junior season at Arizona State in 1986, he’d declare for the ’87 draft.  The Bengals liked what they saw, and handed him the starting job out of the gate at Strong Safety after taking him with the 78th pick out of the 3rd round.

It didn’t take him long as he made his first two interceptions, picking off Warren Moon of  Houston during week 7 in a 31-27 win. By 1988, Fulcher had emerged as one of the most dangerous defensive backs in the AFC, earning the first of 3 consecutive Pro Bowl nomninations. A cornerstone of the Bengals defense, Fulcher’s emergence as a dominating defensive presence coincided with the Bengals second Super Bowl appearance after the season. In 1989 he won All Pro honors after notching 8 interceptions and recovering 4 fumbles. Fulcher was a fixture for the Bengals through 1992 when injuries limited him to just 12 games that season.At the time of his departure, he was ranked 3rd on the Bengals all time interception list. Exposed to free agency, he moved on to the Raiders in 1993 but retired after the season due to lingering injuries.

David has given a lot of his time back to the sport he loves. He runs a football camp in Ohio, and conducts many youth and charitable events in the Cincinnati area.  David currently spends time as a head coach for a local Christian school and also with the NFL and the Bengals. Fulcher is infamously memorialized as one of the best defensive backs on the classic Nintendo game “Tecmo Super Bowl”.

G/Gs 103/98    Tac  N/a    Sac 8.5    Fum 9
Int 31      Yds 246      Avg      Td  2    Lg 28t